| Trichomycteridae (Pencil or parasitic catfishes), subfamily: Trichomycterinae |
| 4.63 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
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benthopelagic; freshwater; pH range: 7.90000009536743 - 8.60000038146973 |
| South America: tributaries of the mainstream in the Angelica Cave in central Brazil. |
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Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-10; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 36-37. Distinguished from its epigean and cave congeners by the combination of the following characters: small size (max. 4.63 cm SL); pigmentation pattern intermediate between epigean and cave Ituglanis species, with small light brown spots on body, spots twice larger than in I. epikarsticus and I. ramiroi; eyes relatively developed when compared to cave species but reduced when compared to the epigean ones, with diameter varying from 0.2-0.3 mm (3.4-6.1% HL) in adults to 0.5 mm (5.7% HL) in juveniles (vs. 0.8-1.1 mm, 10.4-13.7% HL in adults of epigean Ituglanis species; n=6, 5.57-6.3 cm SL). Maxilla with prominent medial-posterior projection; fronto-lachrymal as long as maxilla, posteriorly pointed; posterior process of palatine 1/2 of palatine length, with medial concavity accentuated; vomer elongate with a small constriction in neck; opercle with 11 odontodes and interopercle with 26 odontodes; caudal skeleton with upper hypural plate triangular and lower trapezoidal, neural spine of preural centrum with rounded extremity, dorsal procurrent rays 16 and ventral 14 (Ref. 55401).
Description: Dorsal fin with 10 rays ( 3 unbranched, 7 branched); anal fin with 9 rays (4 unbranched, 5 branched); pectoral fin with 8 rays, first ray longer, unbranched and filamentous; and pelvic fin with 5 rays, first ray unbranched (Ref. 55401). |
| Occurs in the upper mainstream tributaries inside a cave, near the sinkhole end (Ref. 55401). A solitary species with swimming activity on the bottom, in midwater and sometimes extending to the surface (Ref. 55401). |
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Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 07 November 2018 (B2ab(iii,v)) Ref. (130435)
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| harmless |
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